Living with Uncle Jim

I guess it started shortly after my twelfth birthday, you see me and my parents were out celebrating my special day. We had gone to some restaurant; I can’t remember the name now it seems so long ago. We were on our way home, dad was driving and it was raining hard. I don’t know what happened or how it happened all I remember is mum shouting “LOOK OUT!” and then the car swerving into a tree….
I woke up in the hospital to find a pretty black nurse standing next to my bed checking my chart before she noticed I was awake. She smiled down at me and took hold of my hand. I don’t remember much after that but she told me we had been in a car accident and my parents didn’t survive. I do remember thinking this had to all be some kind of silly joke, my dad couldn’t be dead he was big and strong and my mum was too beautiful to die, they was young and good. Good people don’t die young! I kept asking where they were and when they would come see me. It wasn’t until the doctor came round and explained that I started to realise it wasn’t a joke, this was real and I started wondering what was going to happen now?

After a few days a lady came to the hospital to talk to me. She asked how I was which I thought was a stupid question I mean seriously how would you feel being twelve and finding out your parents had just died? She said that she had known my mum and dad and that they had both wrote a will leaving me everything but I couldn’t touch it until my eighteenth birthday. I had wanted to laugh, I didn’t want their money I wanted them.

“Do you have any family you can stay with” She asked

“No” I said looking out the window. I didn’t want to have this conversation, “Wait… my dad has a brother I think,” I whisper

“You think?” she says at the same time I feel her warm hand gently land on my shoulder, turning round I mumble

“Yes, I think so I remember going to his house once when I was 4, mum said there was something she didn’t like about him”

“Do you remember his name?”

“Uncle Jim… James”
…………

It has been three weeks since I left the hospital, they brought me to my uncles who didn’t seem at all please to be lumbered with looking after a 12 year old. Things seem to be going a bit better though now, Uncle Jim as sorted out me starting at the local school and he arranged for some of my things from home to be brought here while the rest goes into storage until I’m old enough to decide what I want to do with it all. Katelyn a friend of my parents came round last night, she explained that my parents wrote a will that states that I will get £100 every year on my birthday, Jim will get a small amount for caring for me and when I turn twenty-one I will be able to get access to my inheritance. I don’t care about the money but it seemed to cheer Uncle Jim up. The only rules to getting the inheritance are that I must life with a family member until my twenty-first birthday.

Today my uncle has left me while he goes fishing with his mates, I’ve only met one of them, and his name is Tony. He seems nice I heard him telling Uncle that he was lucky to have such a beautiful niece living with him, but Uncle just snorted and carried on drinking. I noticed he does that a lot, drink that is.
I decide to clean the house up, mum always hated having a dirty house and we used to have fun cleaning. She used to put the music on full blast and we would dance around in our night clothes cleaning and being silly. So turning on kiss FM radio I turn up the volume and began to dance around while I get to work. Before I know it it’s dark outside, I look around me checking everything is done, it took a while but every counter in the house is clean and shiny, all the washing up is done, most the washing is finished but a bit more to do, surprising how much wash a single man can generate. I don’t think he would have had any tops or pants left, clean ones anyway I think with disgust. All the rooms are hovered and I have changed the bedding too. Happy with how it looks and smells now I quickly take out the 4 black bags of rubbish that I filled throughout the day and make my way up to the bathroom. Pulling off my tight pink cotton shorts as white tank top I climb into the shower feeling grateful to the beautiful hot water, as it along with the Dove body wash my uncle keeps removes all traces of dust and sweat that has stuck to my skin. I spend a little while longer on my hair than usual, taking time to wash it twice with Nivea shampoo and conditioner trying my hardest to remove all the dirt.

Climbing out I wrap a big freshly washed soft white towel around my body and quickly make my way to my room to dress for bed, I realise I hadn’t eaten but I’m not that hungry, just tired. I dry my body and use my mum’s old hair dryer to blow my hair so it’s not so wet before pulling on fresh baby blue cotton shorts and a matching white tank top that has big baby blue letters that spell “bedtime baby”. It used to annoy me looking at it, my dad brought it for a silly gift present at Christmas. I’m not a baby daddy I used to complain and each time he would remind me that I would always be his baby no matter if I was 100, besides it’s what I used to say when I used to tuck you in at night. Now I’m grateful for it. I walk to the window to close the curtain, pausing to look up at the night sky

“Night Mummy, night Daddy…sweet dreams. I love you” I whisper like I have every night since I woke from the accident and found out my parents hadn’t made it.

I pick up snuggles my teddy and climb into bed, tears sliding down my cheeks as I drift off.
I’m forced awake quickly, my heart thumping loudly. Not sure what has woke me I look at the clock and see its only 2:10am, pulling the covers back I swing my legs over the side and make my way to the door and out to the hall way. Standing there quietly I see the light on downstairs and hear my uncles slurred words reaching up to me

“What the fuck? Am I in the right house” he laughs

A loud crash before another laugh gives away the presence of another man “shiiiiit Jimmy, your niece gone and cleaned up. Dammmn girl don’t even need training it be like having a wife without the shit” the loud voice of his drunk mate Tony fills the house

Turning round I creep back to bed hoping not to be heard.

An hour later I hear my door open slowly and see a dark figure slowly making its way to the bed.

“You awake little one?” My uncle asks the smell of beer wafts to my nose causing me to wrinkle my face up in distaste letting on that I am awake

“I like what you done” he say moving closer, his hand reaches under the cover and wraps around my stomach pulling me closer to him. It feels strange but then I think maybe it’s because he’s never cuddled me before

“You’re a special girl and I’m lucky to have you here” he adds as his hand reaches up to my neck turning it towards him, he pushes on my hip making me turn over to lay on my back. “Do you like living here Jane?” He continues leaning up on his arm so his face leans over mine

“I… I miss my parents” I whisper

“I know you do baby, I know” he says leaning down and kissing me full on the mouth. I panic and try to push him off me that isn’t a family kiss

“Uncle what are you doing?” I ask confused

“Just giving you a kiss to say thank you for what you did. It’s ok I’m your uncle” he answers moving his mouth back to mine. I try to relax but his tongue tries to push its way into my mouth

“No uncle that’s not a family kiss,” I say firmly “that’s a mummy and daddy kiss”

“Is that what your parents your parents said?”

“Yes, daddy said that was a kiss he gives mummy and I’m his daughter”

“Yes but you’re not my daughter are you, and I don’t have a mummy to kiss so it’s ok if I kiss you like that”

I look at him confused but he moves his mouth back to mine finally managing to push his tongue into my mouth. I’m not sure about this kiss it still feels wrong and I don’t like the taste of him. I can hear him making funny noises like he’s having trouble breathing and his hands move up and down my body. I feeling really uncomfortable now and he has something hard in his pocket that keeps hitting my private place.

“Uncle please I need to sleep and something in your pocket is hurt me” I whisper as I move my head away from his. I look back at him to see him smiling at me

“Okay baby I will let you rest,” he moves off me and takes my hand putting it on the hard thing in his pocket “that’s something I have just for you” he says rubbing my hand up and down it “if you’re a good girl and don’t tell anyone you can have it soon” the idea of a present gets me excited. I always liked when daddy bought me new things.

“Ok Uncle I will be good and won’t tell anyone anything” I say giggling as I squeeze my present and wonder what it could be.

The next day is the first day at my new school, part of me is excited at the idea of meeting new friends. I wake early and make my way down to the kitchen and start making bacon and eggs for Jim, I sit down just as he walks through the kitchen door and pour milk over my cornflakes.

“You’re up already then?” he asks

“Yes uncle, I made your some breakfast” I reply digging into mine. Once I drink the last of the milk from my bowl I stand and quickly rise it out while Jim scoffs down his sausages, I make my way upstairs to the bathroom and climb in the shower, the hot water run’s down my naked body, moving round and down my already 34b developed breasts and over my flat stomach. I rub shower gel over me and quickly rinse it off as I hear Jim climbing the stair and going to his room. Putting a big soft towel around me I open the bathroom door and go to walk to my room but come up smack against Jim’s bare chest.

“Oh… sorry uncle I didn’t realise you was there” I say walking around him suddenly feeling uncomfortable with the way he’s looking at me.